Scores of readers shared their own troubling accounts of instances at high school sports in which they were victims of racial hate. These included stories from white fans and players who said they had heard racial taunts by black players, fans or parents.

But as many readers have pointed out, the conversation must move beyond the comparisons and finger pointing to a dialogue of reconciliation and understanding.

And the most powerful tool in the battle against racism lies with each one of us: Taking a stand. Next time you are at a high school sports venue and you witness a racial attack of any kind -- verbal or otherwise -- stand up and speak out, says Michelle Nutter, whose job is to guide racial reconciliation initiatives in schools across the region.

“That’s not always easy to do,” said Nutter, a Safe and Supportive School Manager at the Center for Safe Schools. “We want our kids to stand up in a bullying situation. We want kids to stand up and intervene. It’s hard but that is the most powerful tool -- the action of a bystander.”

Standing up to racist -- or bullying, she said, will empower other spectators to not join in but also do what is right.

Nutter pointed out that almost every high school sports venue has a law-enforcement representative present, so at the very least that individual should be told about an incident.

Indeed, Nutter said, the use of racial slurs and intimidation at high school sporting events are violations of state and federal laws and are considered crimes.

“Someone could be charged under the law, although we prefer the proactive handling in the atmosphere of let’s learn together instead of litigate or prosecute, but sometimes those are the avenues to get the work done,” she said.

Jim Buckheit, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said that while schools must continue to head off the problem by ensuring students at a young age learn the social skills and anti-bullying behavior before they learn bad behavior, other players in the community -- from faith groups to organizations such as scouting programs -- are needed to provide a comprehensive attack on racism.

“Some of these behaviors are things that are precipitated by things that take place outside of the school,” Buckheit said. “Schools play one part, but these things don’t end or start inside the school house. This is more of a collective, societal issue, in which schools have a role.”

Buckheit stressed that a community effort is necessary given the strain on schools. He said schools already must meet benchmarks on obesity, bullying and suicide prevention.

“There is a role for schools; the question is how much should be laid on schools and how much of a part should be played by the community, parents, faith-based groups and organizations such as the Boys Scouts,” Buckheit said. “It’s a communitywide issue that we need to collective work on together.”

As Shannon Powers, of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, told PennLive this week, an honest, open dialogue and interaction among individuals and groups affected by racism can go a long way to promoting understanding and tolerance.

“Virtually everyone who works in this field finds that interaction and listening to each other’s perspectives is one of the most important things in helping to foster understanding,” Powers told PennLive.

The lack of a dialogue -- and of a coming together -- exacerbates stereotypes and negative opinions among individuals and groups torn apart by racial tension, she said.

“Creating that opportunity for dialogue and interaction is very important,” Powers said.

Nutter outlined several racial equity initiatives available to school districts -- all at no cost. The programs range from federal to state programs, and include initiatives from The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center and SPIRIT (from the U.S. Department of Justice).

Nutter, from the Center for Safe Schools, compared racism in high school sports to bullying, once regarded as a “rite of passage.”

“We know today that it’s not a rite of passage,” Nutter said. “That the hurt inflicted in these types of situation can last a lifetime. We have much more knowledge. I have a lot of hope. I think that with every generation we get better. We are more aware, more inclusive more understanding. I do have hope that we will be able to get to a point where we treat each other with dignity and respect and that we can fulfill that dream where we are judging by the content of the character not the color of the skin, faith or sexual orientation.”

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